A Magnificent Snow Scene After the Snowfall

After that heavy snowstorm, the valley enjoyed two full days of clear weather.

Su Bai didn't rush into the mountains. Every morning, he went to the camp office to check on trail conditions. It wasn't until the third day that the administrator told him the wind-sheltered climbing path had been cleared, the snow packed firm enough that walking wouldn't be slippery—only then did he make the call: today was the day to go up.

"Little Sheng, time to get up." Su Bai pulled back the tent flap, and a stream of crisp air rushed in. "The weather's incredible—perfect for heading into the mountains."

Chen Yusheng poked her head out of the sleeping bag, squinting as she glanced outside. The sky was a brilliant, transparent blue, and sunlight spilled over snow that reached past the ankles, scattering fine sparkles. Her cool, clear eyes suddenly lit up. "We can finally go up?"

"Yeah, the trail's stable—safe to go." Su Bai pulled out his limited-edition heavy-duty pack and began stuffing gear into it: traction chains, trekking poles, a thermos, and his camera—"Can't leave a single thing behind."

Chen Yusheng climbed out of the sleeping bag quickly. She was dressed even more sharply today than the previous days: a white windproof softshell jacket zipped up to her chin, thermal climbing pants underneath that hugged her impossibly long legs sleekly, high-top hiking boots on her feet, and a cream-colored knit beanie on her head, revealing a small face flushed red from the cold—cool and composed, yet with a touch of playful charm.

"No black stockings today?" Su Bai teased.

"It's below freezing up on the mountain—I'm not stupid." Chen Yusheng shot him a look, then reached over to adjust the straps on his backpack. "Hurry up and get it sorted, I can't wait any longer."

Su Bai grinned, slung one pack on his front and the other on his back, then double-checked Chen Yusheng's gear to make sure her traction chains were secure before leading her toward the climbing trail.

Back at the camp, other hikers were still huddled in their tents warming themselves. A few poked their heads out as the two set off fully kitted.

"Those two are really going up?"

"They've got top-tier gear and great stamina—that guy handles a sixty-pound pack with one hand like it's nothing. Going up's no issue for them."

"True. The last stubborn one who went up was rescued by them. These two are the real deal."

Su Bai ignored the chatter. He took Chen Yusheng's hand and stepped onto the trail, the snow crunching underfoot as they climbed higher, step by step.

The climbing path was well-maintained. Pine trees on either side bent low under last night's snow, their branches heavy with clusters of white. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled patterns on the snow. The higher they climbed, the wider the view became, until the camp below shrank into a scattering of colored specks.

After roughly forty minutes, they rounded a bend, and the scene opened up before them.

A wide, open ridge stretched out in front of them. Range after range of mountains lay blanketed in thick snow, layer upon layer, from the nearby snow-laden pines all the way to the horizon—pure white, dazzling white. In the distance, several jagged peaks pierced the clouds, their summits glowing with a soft golden light in the sun. A thin mist floated through the valleys, drifting slowly with the wind, like something out of a fairyland.

Chen Yusheng stood on the ridge, completely stunned.

Her mouth hung open, her usually cool eyes filled with disbelief and wonder. It took her a long moment to finally force out a single line.

"Holy sht…"

"Well, well—Teacher Chen swears, huh?" Su Bai stifled a laugh.

"Don't interrupt!" She grabbed his arm, her voice brimming with uncontrollable excitement as she pointed at the snow-covered mountains before them. "Su Bai, look! This… this is way too beautiful! I've watched so many snow trekking videos on Bilibili, and back then I thought, 'It's just snow, what's so special about it?' But seeing it with my own eyes now… it's not even on the same level!"

She took a deep breath of the cold, fresh air, her chest rising and falling, her cheeks red from the cold, but her eyes shining brightly.

"No matter how high-def a video is, it's still just a screen." She turned to Su Bai, her tone full of emotion. "But standing here—the wind is cold, the snow is white, the light on that mountain peak actually moves, even the sound the snow makes underfoot is different. A screen can never give you this feeling."

Seeing her so unusually excited, Su Bai's heart softened. For most of the year, the girl spent her time buried in the lab, buried in code and data—she rarely let loose like this.

"See?" Su Bai said with a smile. "Some things, just watching others do them doesn't cut it. You've got to go out and experience them yourself. From now on, let's go on more treks."

"Yeah!" Chen Yusheng nodded firmly, the little pom-pom on her beanie bouncing. "I really had to come here myself. Before, I always thought it was too much trouble—what's the point of hiking? Might as well stay home and game. But now I know—this was totally worth it."

She took a couple more steps forward, standing at the edge of the ridge, letting the mountain wind whip the hem of her jacket noisily. She spread her arms, tilted her head back, and let out a long, deep sigh, as if trying to gather all the crispness and vastness of the mountains into her embrace.

Su Bai watched her silhouette—a slender figure standing against the endless expanse of snow. The cream beanie, the white windproof jacket—she almost seemed to merge into the landscape, yet she was so vivid he couldn't look away.

Suddenly reminded of something, he quickly set down his pack and pulled out his camera.

It was a high-end full-frame camera he'd gotten earlier, paired with a top-tier zoom lens that delivered excellent image quality. He usually used it to take intimate portraits of Chen Yusheng, but now it was perfect for this.

"Little Sheng, don't move. Hold that pose." Su Bai raised the camera, his eye pressed to the viewfinder.

Chen Yusheng turned back, about to say something, when she heard a soft "click."

"Hey, that's a sneak shot!"

"It's called a candid shot." Su Bai grinned proudly and swiveled the camera screen toward her. "Look at that, the way you look back in that moment—perfect. The background, the lighting, the expression—I'd frame it and hang it at the Donghu Clubhouse."

Chen Yusheng leaned in for a look. In the frame, she stood at the peak of a snow mountain, captured in the instant of her turn—her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright, the endless white peaks stretching out behind her. She was taken aback herself—she'd never imagined she could take such a beautiful photo.

"A few more shots." Su Bai got into the groove, circling around her, crouching down, standing up, switching angles, clicking the shutter nonstop.

With his expert-level aesthetic and excellent practical skills, he composed shots effortlessly. He had her stand by a snow-covered pine, catching falling snow in her hand; had her sit on a protruding rock, her profile gazing into the distance; then captured the natural moment when the wind blew strands of hair across her face and she reached up to smooth them down.

At first Chen Yusheng felt a little awkward, but she gradually loosened up, cooperating with his directions and striking various poses, her smile growing more relaxed by the minute.

"Su Bai, take a wide shot for me—with that golden peak in it too."

"Sure, step a little to the left. Right there." Su Bai knelt in the snow, angling the shot upward. "Three, two, one—smile."

Click.

One frame after another was captured. There were snowy mountains, pine forests, thin mist, and even more of the girl who laughed without a hint of guard in the vastness of the world.

Su Bai was thoroughly into it, so much so that he swapped to a wide-angle lens, inch by inch taking in the whole majestic snowy panorama through his camera. The distant peaks, the nearby snow-dusted pines, and the shifting clouds in the valley—every single shot looked like a postcard.

“This place—it’s so worth it.” Su Bai flipped through the images on his camera and let out a heartfelt sigh. “When we get back, I’ll retouch these photos and make you your own album. Whenever you look back at them later, you’ll remember that we were here today.”

Chen Yusheng walked over, leaning in close to look at the photos with him. Her icy fingertips slid across the screen, swiping through one shot after another, her lips curved upward in a smile, the light in her eyes outshining even the snow-covered mountains.

“It’s beautiful,” she murmured, resting her head on Su Bai’s shoulder. “Su Bai, thank you for bringing me here.”

“What’s there to thank me for?” He held her closer, draping an arm around her shoulder. “If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

A mountain breeze swept across the snowy plain, lifting fine specks of white powder that sparkled in the sunlight. The two stood side by side on the ridge, gazing out at the pristine, untouched canvas ahead without another word.

After a long while, Su Bai raised his camera again, aimed it at the magnificent snowy peaks, and began capturing one shot after another without stopping.